


Signal

by Macremae



Category: EOS 10 (Podcast), Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Crossover, Gen, radio signals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5060524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macremae/pseuds/Macremae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hephaestus's comms system picks up a strange signal from the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Signal

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a trade for RobinRadio.

“And thus concludes the case of the malfunctioning signal locker! That’s a hell of a mystery. No one thought it was a mystery. And didn’t even really need solving. But damn if it didn’t just get solved. So nice work.”

“I feel like you’re quoting something.” Hera said, her projection squinting suspiciously at Eiffel. 

He shrugged. “No more than usual. What say we do a quick scan to make sure nothing blows up?”

Hera nodded, and Eiffel typed in a command. A symphony of static washed over them as the Hephaestus’s system searched the cosmos for radio waves. The pair relaxed, used to the regular sound of nothing happening.

And then suddenly, something did.

In between the sounds of empty signals, there was a brief flash of voices, faint but audible. Eiffel bolted upright and looked at Hera, whose face was already blank as she skipped back through the waves and locked on.

The noises became clearer, three distinct voices coming into focus.

“... and that is why you should never microwave a marshmallow.” said what sounded like a female. Her tone was loose and casual, possibly talking to friends.

“Do you have to learn everything the hard way?” came another. This one was male, around medium pitch. Clinking and squelching sounds followed, along with the girl responding, “Why yes, yes I do. Camping requires being outside, and that is not something I enjoy.”

“Believable, except for the fact that you were obsessed in scuba diving for a while.” The third voice was low and rough, soaked with sarcasm. 

“Um, hello?” Eiffel said tentatively. “This is Communications Officer Douglas Eiffel from the U.S.S. Hephaestus. Does anybody copy?”

There was total silence on the other end, then the younger male spoke. “Did you guys just hear something?”

“Yeah, I did.” came the girl. “It was something about a Hephaestus.” She paused. “Akmazian, is that you?”

“Um, I don’t know who that is, but, I’m pretty sure you heard me, so… hi.” Eiffel replied.

“I-I think it’s coming from the speakers.” said the young man again. “Hello?”

“Yeah, hi, Doug Eiffel, Hephaestus, you heard all that. Who is this? Also, we come in peace. At least, three of us do.”

“Okay,” began the girl, “one: how did you get onto this room’s speaker system? Two: that’s not possible because the Hephaestus was decommissioned centuries ago.”

Hera snorted. “No it wasn’t, we’re on it right now. I’m Hera by the way, station AI.”

“Also impossible, human-like artificial intelligence hasn’t been around since the twenty first century.” the older man said.

“Well here I am.”

Eiffel thought for a moment. “Okay, random questions: what year is it?”

“About three-thousand fifteen,” answered the girl, “why?”

Eiffel went very pale for a few seconds. He glanced up at Hera, whose projection had a look of shock etched across it’s face. 

“Um…” he said slowly, “try two-thousand fifteen.”

The line was dead silent. 

“Well,” came a southern voice from the other end, “that’s certainly something.”

The three others yelped,and the sounds of scuffling feet could be heard. “Jesus Chri-, Akmazian what are you doing here?” asked Young Male. 

“Afternoon darlin’” he replied. “Although I suppose time is arbitrary in space. Now what’s this about it being twenty-fifteen?”

“I have a theory.” Hera interjected. “On this ship, a lot of… odd things have happened. It’s honestly quite possible that our ship’s comms system stumbled across a signal from the future. Now, before we continue, any chance we could get some names?”

“Oh, right our bad. Well, I’m Dr. Dalias, the girl is Nurse Johns, and the one who said you can’t exist is Dr. Urvidian.”

“Charmed.” said Eiffel, “So, can we go back to the part about the Hephaestus being decommissioned centuries ago? A step by step guide on how the crew made it home would be just great.”

“Not a good idea.” Akmazian said. “Sharing any information about the future with those of the past would create a serious temporal paradox, especially if that information is about them.”

“Damnit.” Eiffel muttered. “Is there anything you can tell us?”

“Probably best to just play it safe.” 

“Okay, does anyone else feel weird talking to thin air?” Jane asked. Eiffel’s gaze darted up toward Hera, before replying, “You get used to it.”

Hera thought for a moment. “If you can’t tell us that, then why did they stop making AIs?” 

“Fear, mainly.” replied Urvidian. “People became convinced that the machines were getting too clever, and paranoia became strong enough that production stopped.”

“Let me guess; all artificial intelligence units at the time were destroyed.” Hera muttered angrily. “Gee, I wonder why we wanted to take over in the first place?”

“Hmm,” Akmazian mused, “guess the Interface had a point.”

There was a pause, and Dalias replied, “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I won’t name names, but there are certain people on this station who have what one might call… trust issues.”

“I was the one who convinced them not to kill us all in the first place! Pardon my french, but screw you.”

“Please, do so.”

Eiffel’s mouth dropped open, then settled into a cat-like grin. “Okay, I officially like this guy.”

There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like facepalming. “No, don’t encourage hi-”

Dalias was cut off by a burst of static, and Eiffel flew to the controls. “Seriously? C’mon not now, anytime but now!”

It was no use though, the signal had been lost.

Back in the operating room, Ryan looked confusedly up at the silent speakers. “Did they get cut off?”

Jane nodded. “I think so.”

“Huh. Have any of you heard of the guy we just talked to?”

Everyone shook their heads. Ryan tapped his comms bracelet. “Interface, who was Doug Eiffel?” he asked.

A few beeping noises answered, then, “Information found. Name: Douglas Fernand Eiffel. Changed to Douglas Eiffel Volodin in two-thousand sixteen. Born on December 25, 1983.”

“Oh he must’ve gotten married after the mission was over.” Jane said with a grin. “I wonder how they met?”


End file.
